Mystery Worshipper: Subwayfarer.The church:St Paul's Clifton, Bristol, England.Denomination: Church of England.The building: A classic Anglican church in a fairly smart part of
town. Architecturally ornate on the outside; rich on the inside in the Catholic-Orthodox
manner.The church: There were ample signs of life of the non-evangelical
variety: a table full of trade justice materials, all kinds of political
and academic pamphlets, etc. The church has strong links with Bristol University
and a history of radical political engagement. It remains a leading liberal
Anglican church in Bristol. The neighbourhood: Clifton is the smart part of Bristol, although
the church is not in the most high end part of Clifton. Rather, it is in
the university quarter, which has a far more relaxed feel to it than Clifton
Village up the hill.The cast: The Rev. Simon Taylor, assistant curate, presided. The
preacher was Ms Charity Hamilton, a member of the congregation.

What was the name of the service?
Family Worship.

How full was the building?
Not crammed to the rafters, but
a healthy spread of people occupying all the pews in reasonable density
from the front to the back.

Did anyone welcome you personally?
Someone welcomed me with a handshake
and a service sheet. I had the impression that I could have chatted on with
this person at length had I so wished. When I sat down I was warmly greeted
by my neighbour, a barrister. She introduced me to the couple on the other
side of her, and I felt very much at-ease.

Was your pew comfortable?
The pew was comfortable. There were
cushions for kneeling during the prayers.

How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
I arrived just as the service was
beginning, but my guess would be that the pre-service atmosphere would generally
be what you wanted it to be, within certain parameters. Space enough to
be quiet in – or if you so desired, the opportunity to gossip and
flit about the pews. The overriding sense I had was that one could be as
one chose here.

What were the exact opening words of the
service?
I'm afraid I missed it, but I'm
pretty sure it was a conventional Anglican welcome. Warm, but not overly
emotional or dramatic.

What books did the congregation use during the
service?
A handout contained an outline of
the liturgy – very usable, unlike some others I've seen. There was
also a hymn book and Bible available, although I didn't consult the Bible
during the service.

What musical instruments were played?
Organ. The music was very traditional,
with a mixture of older and more modern hymns.

Did anything distract you?
One of the more modern hymns contained
some weird double entendres that sent the barrister next to me into paroxyms
of laughter. "Golden bulwarks" were mentioned, and something about
the "bridal shed" (I think "shed" was a verb in this
context, but the immediate impression was otherwise). Also, not being up
on the rules of crossing oneself, I was somewhat distracted when I saw people
doing it at what seemed to be odd times.

Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
Stiff-upper-lip, really, although
lots of life in it. As already mentioned, there was enough informality for
my neighbour to kill herself laughing over the language of the hymn. The
organ was well used, and there was a wonderful university choir who sang
at interludes. (I was told later that these were "nothing to do with
the religion.")

Exactly how long was the sermon?
10 minutes.

On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
10 – The preacher, Charity
Hamilton, was really the highlight of the service. Her theme was "waiting"
and she managed to infuse her message with both humour and intellect. She
spoke of her days spent flipping burgers at McDonalds as well as about her
car-dealer father and her smoking habit. And on top of all that she found
time to mention the noted feminist Germaine Greer and global justice.

In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
Waiting is not merely dead time.
It fills a specific function – for example, it gives her the chance
to step aside and have a fag.

Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
Wonderful choir, friendly people,
great sermon.

And which part was like being in... er... the other
place?
Nothing stands out, but there are
some aspects of Anglicanism that I always find awkward, such as the peace
ceremony. Being lifted up to prayerful reflection by a decorous and restrained
liturgy, only to have the spell suddenly broken by an awkward handshake
or, worse yet, a squishy hug from a slightly mad stranger, always spoils
it for me.

What happened when you hung around after the service
looking lost?
A well-meaning university type wandered
up and engaged me in conversation about the Bristol Tobacco Factory, a local
professional theatre troupe. I can hold my own in these kinds of encounters,
but even if I couldn't, I sensed that he would have willingly explored other
topics until he found one that engaged me. I didn't feel isolated at any
time.

How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
Tea and coffee in proper china cups,
plus a decent choice of biscuits. Wonderful!

How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
10 – If you are of a more
liberal theological persuasion and like to move in academic circles, this
would obviously be a natural choice for you. However, it did not feel compartmentalised,
and I had the impression that all sorts of people are actively embraced
here.

Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
It certainly did, and it reminded
me of how many different ways there are to be one.

What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
Charity Hamilton's evident wit in
owning up to being a smoker and using the image of having a fag to make
a theological point.

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